Tim's Tips for Caulfield Cup Day
TIM HABEL was a racing journalist with the Sun, then Herald-Sun for 36 years and now works as a contributor for The Age. His selections are published mid-week and each Saturday.
CAULFIELD SATURDAY OCTOBER 18, 2025, rail 3m, track good 4
RACE 1: LOFTY THOUGHTS 1, Bacash 2, Matahga 3, Icarian Dream 4
RACE 2: ARABIAN PRINCE 1, Options 2, Miewa 3, Engine Of War 4
RACE 3: JUST A JOURNEY 1, Spicy Lu 2, Yum 3, Future Frankie 4
RACE 4: TENTYRIS 1, McGaw 2, Raging Force 3, Ripley 4
RACE 5: AKAYSHA 1, Austmarr 2, Hi Dubai 3, Photograph 4
RACE 6: REY MAGNERIO 1, Arabian Summer 2, Zealously 3, Pisanello 4
RACE 7: APOCALYPTIC 1, Mating Call 2, Ole Dancer 3, Karinska 4
The Sydney three year-olds seems superior this spring evidenced by Autumn Boy's Guineas win last week so Flight Stakes winner Apocalyptic is hard to go past. Makes her own luck on pace, first time at Caulfield the only query. Best of the rest are SA filly Mating Call and Ole Dancer who will be running on.
RACE 8: PRIVATE EYE 1, Royal Insignia 2, Star Patrol 3, Here To Shock 4
Private Eye would not be out of place in the Everest or King Charles at Randwick but trainer Joe Pride has opted for this softer race. He's won six Group 2 and 3s, will sit in the first two and is simply a better class than his rivals.
RACE 9: HALF YOURS 1, Meydaan 2, Middle Earth 3, Deakin 4
On facts and figures Half Yours is the winner. Won the Naturalism here then was a fast finishing fourth behind the A graders in the Turnbull and drops 3.5 kg. Plus barrier two, has won at 2400m, and he gets all the ticks. But it's a horse race. Ironically the last horse to win the Naturalism-Caulfield Cup double was Jameka (2016), both horses being bred by the late Col McKenna. Best of the internationals is Meydaan, a stablemate of West Wind Blows (second in 2023) while Middle Earth will relish 2400m.
RACE 10: MIRAVAL ROSE 1, Abounding 2, Splash Back 3, Lady Jones 4
Three hopes, the in-form Miraval Rose who will lead from the rails draw and take a power of running down, perennial hard luck runner Abounding and Splash Back who will swoop late.
BEST BETS: Private Eye, Tentyris. VALUE: Miraval Rose
THE $20 FLEXI QUADDIE
1st leg: 1, 3, 12
2nd leg: 2
3rd leg: 3, 4, 15
4th leg: 1, 2, 5
For a $20 outlay you would receive 74 per cent of a $1 dividend.